


meet me in the middle

by snivellus (queervulcan)



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Dancing, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Growing Old Together, M/M, Old Age, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 08:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14160780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queervulcan/pseuds/snivellus
Summary: He came to softly, no longer a jolt like years past, and smiles at Hermann. Hermann’s heart flutters in his chest, and Newton scooches closer to press his face into Hermann’s chest, soaking up his warmth like a ladybug under a lamp in the dead of winter.





	meet me in the middle

After waking up still half frozen, confused and afraid, he cherished any moments he could get with Newton. 

After years of fighting, years of looking behind his shoulder to make sure Hydra or Kaiju or whatever new villain was there, he was a tired man. Years of fighting had taken its toll against the serum, and despite their best science, it had also taken a toll on his body.

Internally, he would always be the young man who could rip a window pane from its wall without thinking twice, who would free fall from buildings trusting his comrades would catch him, always be that safety net. Externally, he wasn’t much different, just now with new creaky joints, with more fine wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and a new weapon to beat away hyperactive fans while still making him look distinguished and polite.

These days, any day he woke up with Newton by his side was a cherished moment, one to be held tenderly and with precision. They had a house together, a beautiful one by the ocean because Newton swears it reminds him of home, with seashell wind chimes that Hermann liked listening to before bed. They were retired, allowing others to help keep the world save after the Kaiju, after everything that presented itself and still had yet to. 

Most of their friends were past life, or nearing it at an alarming rate, and they both knew even if it would take twenty, fifty more years, they would also reach them in time. 

Time was something Hermann had in spades these days.

This morning, he rolls over onto his side so he can watch Newton slumbering, watch his chest rise and fall, and his hand itches to press it over his heart, see the physical prove that he is alive and within touching distance, no authorities to chase after them. He wants to touch the places where the sunlight from the bay window halos him, kiss the shadows that persistently linger.

Even now as he watches him, his eyelids start to flutter, his subconscious letting him know through the Drift that never ceased that he was being watched, and even loved and admired. 

He came to softly, no longer a jolt like years past, and smiles at Hermann. Hermann’s heart flutters in his chest, and Newton scooches closer to press his face into Hermann’s chest, soaking up his warmth like a ladybug under a lamp in the dead of winter. 

Sloppy hello’s and good morning’s are exchanged, and they briefly discuss any plans they might have been thinking of that day. Rising out of bed takes longer, not because they have difficulty rising, but because they want to linger together and sunbathe while they can.

Newton laughs at him in their couple bathroom, watching him struggle to shave as Newton insists on tickling his sides, and ceases to do so when Hermann accidentally catches him in the face with his elbow. 

Mornings are always Hermann’s favorites, when Newton is still sleepy and plying and his demons haven’t had their chance to come back in bursts yet. Sharing breakfast had always seemed tedious to him, hell, sharing a  _ life  _ had seemed tedious, but it wasn’t until he met Newton, years past as children before the war, that he ever imagined that possibility for himself.

Years ago, when they were bright and young and head over heels in love, and years later, now, still bright and no less in love. In fact, the separation, the brainwashing, all the problems they faced together may have helped them fall further in love, until they wanted to grow old together, to have a family together and die side by side, surrounded by the fruits of their love and labor.

Newton smiles coyly at him across the kitchen island, and sneaks closer to him, laying a weathered hand over his equally bony one, and picks his hands up from where they were resting against the marble. 

“Will you dance with me, Hermann?”

Hermann huffs, rolling his eyes, but it is all show: they can both feel the genuine affection and agreement through their Drift, and even in the way Hermann doesn’t pull away when Newton tugs him out their balcony doors, breakfast forgotten, hands held gently, cradled with all the protection they can offer each other, even as Newt tucks Hermann against his side, allowing him to lean more on Newton than his cane. 

It is warm outside, just the way Hermann prefers but Newton gripes over. Today, however, he just wrinkles his nose, but makes no vocal protest. 

Newton leads Hermann to the edge of their balcony, where the wood meets sand, sneaking glances backwards whenever he can- which is often, as there are not many obstacles here to trip over.

“Here, let me put some music on.” Newton fishes his cell phone out from his still too tight pants, and plays what Hermann can peek at are ballads from when they were boys, from the years they first met. Hermann’s eyes water and sting, and he is old enough now to admit it is not because of the sea salt in the air, nor the sand blowing into his face. 

A soft  [ ballad ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhwlTPTI6E) plays, and Hermann closes his eyes against it, letting memories wash over him. He thought of him and Newton as boys, both with full mobility and joints that didn’t threaten to crack, when they would climb trees together and chase neighborhood geese. 

They start off softly, just shuffling in place, looking at each other, and when that becomes too intense, out at the ocean they can just make off in the distance. Hermann grips his cane, preparing himself for the tempo to accelerate, and when it starts to he helps Newton twirl, no longer as quickly as he could but no less energetic. 

Hermann’s heart soars at Newton’s laughter, both in the Drift and on his face, and laughs back with him. 

They twirl together, mindful of Hermann’s cane and Newton’s two left feet, and Hermann could not, does not want to, wish for anything else but to be here, in this very moment, with the sun glaring down on them, causing sweat to prickle against their skin.  


The song ends, as all songs do, and they are both panting but content, filled to the brim with it, so overfull their feelings drift into one another’s consciousness, almost unbearable. 

Newton grips Hermann’s hand, and with a grimace, he makes his way down to one knee. Hermann’s heart stutters, remembering the last time Newton was on one knee, when they were near fourty and offering promises of a lifetime and past that. 

“Hermann, I know we’ve been married for years, a hell of a long time, and I know I’ve said this before: but thank you. No, let me speak. Thank you for being my friend, for giving companionship to a very lonely boy, thank you for not giving up on me during the first war, and for believing in me when no one else did after the brainwashing. Thank you for always standing by my side, for loving and cherishing me, for giving me a family and a future, and most importantly, hope. Hermann, will you do me the honor of renewing our vows?”

Hermann gasped, “Get up, you silly man.” His voice was a snap, but it was all bark and no bite. He helped Newton get up as best he could, using his body as support. 

“Well?” Newton’s signature grin, so cheeky and full of life, made Hermann’s lips twitch as well. 

He hummed and hawed, denying him an answer just for the sake of old times, until Newton was nearly bouncing from foot to foot, impatient as ever.

“Yes, you impatient man, of course. How could I ever deny you so?”

Newton whooped, startling some nearby seagulls into squawking, and hugged Hermann so hard he nearly dropped his cane. 

One minute, he was seeing over Newton’s hair, still full of life and no less tameable, and then he was being pulled down by the collar of his oversized sweater, Newton meeting him for a bruising kiss that made Hermann’s knees shake, caused stars to appear behind his drooping eyelids, making him feel like a boy all over again, experiencing his first kiss.

_ Yes _ , Hermann thought,  _ always yes _ . 

He pushed those thoughts to Newton, all his love and joy and promises of this life and the next, and met him in the middle.


End file.
